The ruling largely upheld a prior order by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis, who had mandated the government to rectify its actions and bring Abrego Garcia back to the United States.

The Supreme Court’s unsigned opinion, issued without dissent, emphasized that the government must “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s release from custody in El Salvador and ensure his case is handled as though he had never been unlawfully deported. However, the justices sent the case back to the lower court for clarification on what it means for the government to “effectuate” his return, citing limits on judicial authority in foreign affairs.

Abrego Garcia, 29, fled gang violence in El Salvador as a teenager and has lived in Maryland since 2011. He was granted withholding of removal in 2019, a legal status that protects individuals from deportation if they are likely to face persecution in their home country. Despite this protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested him on March 12 while he was driving with his young son. Days later, he was deported and placed in El Salvador’s notorious CECOT mega-prison—a facility infamous for its harsh conditions and association with gang members.

The Trump administration has claimed Abrego Garcia is affiliated with MS-13 based on unsubstantiated allegations tied to his attire and an informant’s vague report. However, his lawyers have refuted these claims, stating that he has no criminal record or gang ties. 

Judge Xinis initially ordered Abrego Garcia’s return by April 7, asserting that his deportation violated federal immigration law and due process protections. 

Following the Supreme Court decision, Judge Xinis demanded detailed updates from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) regarding Abrego Garcia’s location and steps taken toward his repatriation. The Justice Department has pushed back against deadlines set by Xinis, citing logistical challenges, but critics argue that these delays exacerbate harm to Abrego Garcia and undermine judicial authority.

During a hearing on Friday, Judge Paula Xinis described the situation as “extremely troubling.”

Justice Department attorney Drew Ensign admitted that he could not provide any details regarding Garcia’s location or custodial status.

This lack of information prompted Judge Xinis to demand daily updates starting this weekend. She criticized the administration for failing to take meaningful action since her initial ruling, stating, “I’m not sure what to take from the fact that the Supreme Court has spoken quite clearly and yet I can’t get an answer today about what you’ve done.”

The administration argued in court filings that meeting judicial deadlines was “unreasonable and impracticable” due to the sensitive nature of international relations. However, Xinis rejected this reasoning, emphasizing that Garcia’s life and safety are at risk.

The post Supreme Court Orders Trump Administration to Facilitate Return of Wrongfully Deported Maryland Resident first appeared on SJO Daily.

“What does any library collection look like? It looks like the items its community wants,” says Susan McKinney, Librarian at the St. Joseph Township – Swearingen Memorial Library. 

The library boasts over 30,000 physical items, ranging from fiction and non-fiction to large print books, mysteries, romances, science fiction/fantasy, youth chapter books, children’s picture books, DVDs, audiobooks on CD, music CDs, and magazines.

In addition to its physical collection, the library offers access to two e-resource consortia: the Digital Library in Illinois (DLIL) hosted by Overdrive (commonly known as Libby) and CloudLibrary. 

Patrons can also utilize Mango Languages, an online platform for language learning that uses native speakers and advanced technology to help users perfect their pronunciation. Another digital offering is Biblio+, a streaming video service with educational content as well as movies and TV series from Hallmark and BBC.

The library’s membership in the Illinois Heartland Library System SHARE online catalog significantly expands its offerings. “If we don’t have something, we can place a hold on the item at another library,” McKinney explains. The system includes over 400 libraries across southern Illinois. For rarer items not available locally, the library can request materials through OCLC from other libraries across the state or even nationwide.

The library’s roots trace back to 1929 when it was founded by volunteers from the St. Joseph Women’s Club in a local beauty shop. Members of the St. Joseph Women’s Club continued to volunteer their time to staff the library.  

It later moved to St. Joseph High School before settling into its current location at 201 N. Third Street in 1956, thanks to a donation from Mrs. Maude Davis in honor of her parents. The building was named Swearingen Memorial Library and remains on this property per Mrs. Davis’s trust.

Over the years, the library has grown significantly. In 1973, a referendum established a tax base for funding, leading to the hiring of professional staff and the creation of an elected Library Board of Directors. A state grant in 1988 allowed for an expansion of the building, reopening in February 1989 with its current layout.

Programs for All Ages

The library offers programming that caters to all demographics:

• Baby Music Time in partnership with Crisis Nursery
• Senior Citizens Bingo and Adult Coloring sessions
• Story Time from September to March
• Author Talks including an upcoming visit from Kent Brown, author of 100 Things Illinois Fans Should Know or Do Before They Die (April 14 at 6 p.m.)
• UI Extension workshops for caregivers of individuals with Alzheimer’s or dementia
• Community events such as I-Cash with the State Treasurer’s office, voter education through the League of Women Voters, and town hall meetings including a visit from Representative Adam Niemerg’s staff on Tuesday, April 15th from 9:30–10:30 a.m.

The library’s mission statement reflects its dedication: “The objective of the St. Joseph Township – Swearingen Memorial Library is to provide for the informational, cultural, and educational needs of the residents of St. Joseph Township through the selection, organization, and promotion of as wide a range of materials as possible.”

As a public institution, the library is funded by state and local sources. McKinney acknowledged the financial strain caused by recent minimum wage increases, which were difficult for smaller libraries to absorb. She also expressed hope that state officials would continue to support libraries should federal funding decrease.

Still, community backing remains strong.

“We have a very supportive community,” McKinney said.  Our community reaches out and gives us support for the summer reading program as well as at other times.  The elected Library Board is very much an example of the community being interested in making the library the best it can be.”

From its humble beginnings in 1929 to its modern role as a hub for digital resources and community engagement, the St. Joseph Township – Swearingen Memorial Library exemplifies how libraries can evolve while staying true to their core mission: serving their communities with knowledge and connection.

For those interested in supporting the library, whether through donations, volunteering, or programming, the library encourages reaching out to staff or Library Board members to learn how to get involved.

The post St. Joseph Township Library: A Century of Community, Connection, and Growth first appeared on SJO Daily.

After distributing nearly 3,000 dresses, hundreds of pairs of shoes, over 200 suits and handbags, and 750 pounds of jewelry over the past two years, the event aims to collect and give away more than 1,000 formalwear items this year—all free of charge.

Donations of formalwear and accessories are still being accepted at several locations across Champaign, including Farren’s restaurant, Fire Doll candle studio, Beads N Botanicals, Catch My Thrift in Lincoln Square Mall, Keller Williams at 2441 Village Green Place, and directly at the giveaway location during designated hours. Items such as dresses, suits, shoes, jewelry, and handbags are all welcome.

“The more items we have, the better the chance that every kid will find something that they love,” said event organizer Mike Ingram. “And maybe they’ll also find a graduation dress or a pair of shoes for a wedding. We take all kinds of donations and if someone can use it for something, that’s great.”

One standout feature of the event is its alteration services provided by Paula Strong, a veteran volunteer who has worked tirelessly over the years to ensure students leave with perfectly fitting attire. 

“I can’t work miracles,” Strong joked, “but I do try very hard.” 

The boutique will be open on April 12 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and April 13 from 2-5 p.m. Shoppers can also find what they need on April 15 from 3-6 p.m. and on April 17 from 3-6 p.m.

Christine Windelborn, a local boutique owner and longtime volunteer, highlighted that no item goes to waste. Leftover items are distributed to local organizations or made available to parents and other non-prom attendees who might benefit from them.

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The Oakwood Public Library, located at 110 E Finley Ave, offers more than just a diverse collection of over 17,500 physical items available for checkout; it provides access to technology, educational programs, events, and quiet spaces for reflection or study. 

“We offer three apps for patrons to download books, movies, magazines, and more. The apps have over a million options!” Librarian Tammi Helka said. 

But the library’s value goes far beyond the page. 

The Oakwood Public Library staff consistently provides opportunities for community members to gather. While programs vary from year to year, currently, adults can play BINGO once a month, Euchre weekly on Wed. at 2 p.m., and a book club every month. Storytime is scheduled every Friday at 10 a.m.

“We offer baking kits for anyone wanting to learn how to decorate cupcakes or cookies, and they don’t want to spend the money on a kit. We have the kit here for checkout that offers several icing tips for them to use. We also offer life-size Connect Four to check out for anyone who wants to have the game for a birthday party or just a family game night.”

The library’s impact also reaches beyond its walls. In partnership with Project Success, it supports before- and after-school programming that includes tutoring and enrichment activities for Oakwood students. And for those looking to combine literacy with the great outdoors, a “book walk” along the Kickapoo Rail Trail allows families to read a children’s story together, one page at a time.

Whether it’s a child discovering the joy of reading, a student researching a school project, or a job seeker using resources to find new opportunities, the library meets people where they are and helps them move forward.

 In an ever-changing world, the library remains a constant—fostering curiosity, supporting lifelong learning, and strengthening the bonds that hold a community together.

The post Oakwood Public Library: A Small-Town Space Making a Big Community Impact first appeared on SJO Daily.

Timed perfectly with the spring migration season, the workshop will provide participants with a unique opportunity to learn about bird species that call Illinois home. Attendees will gain insights into bird adaptations, life histories, and current research on local bird populations conducted in east-central Illinois. A highlight of the event will be live bird netting demonstrations led by researchers from the University of Illinois, offering a rare chance to observe birds up close.

In addition to classroom discussions, participants will embark on an outdoor hike through Kennekuk County Park to spot birds in their natural habitats. While the workshop’s activities are designed for educators teaching grades K-6, it is open to anyone interested in birds or conservation education. Attendees will receive supplemental resources and classroom activities aligned with Illinois State Learning Standards and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Professional Development Hours are also available for educators.

The workshop requires pre-registration, with a nominal fee of $11. Interested individuals can register online at ENTICE’s official website. For additional information or questions, contact Lara Danzl at ldanzl@vccd.org or call 217-442-1691.

Kennekuk County Park, located at 22296 Henning Road in Danville, serves as the headquarters of the VCCD and offers a rich environment for exploring nature and wildlife. This event underscores the district’s commitment to fostering environmental education and stewardship among educators and the community.

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SPRINGFIELD — The Illinois House took its first step Monday in passing legislation responding to proposed actions by the Trump administration.

The House voted 67-39 to advance House Bill 3637, which would put new protections in state law to safeguard health care licenses for providers who offer abortion cares. It also guarantees continued access to abortion medication even if the medication’s approval is rescinded by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

“We know that Project 2025 has called for the revoking of the FDA approval for medication abortion drugs, and we cannot wait to react after the fact,” Rep. Dagmara Avelar, D-Romeoville, said.

Under the bill, if the FDA ends approval for a drug, health care providers in Illinois will be allowed to continue providing the medication so long as the World Health Organization recommends it. Democrats fear the Trump administration may take action that makes critical medications, including those for abortion, inaccessible.

The WHO has “experienced health care providers as well so I’m confident on what they put out with regards to safety of drugs,” Avelar said.

The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled last year that a group suing to revoke FDA authorization for an abortion drug lacked standing.

Rep. Bill Hauter, R-Morton, argued the legislation sets a dangerous precedent for health care regulation.

“There has to be some safety mechanisms, whether they be in the abortion clinic or with abortion medications,” Hauter said. “Do not reject the authority of the U.S. federal Food and Drug Administration. This is an important safety mechanism. This is unprecedented in my mind.”

Pritzker’s direct college admission plan

The House voted 102-2 on Monday to advance House Bill 3522, which would create a direct admission program that applies students for admission at most Illinois public colleges and universities at once, bypassing college application fees.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Illinois Chicago would not be included in the program.

Read more: Senate Democrats champion program to streamline Illinois college applications

The plan was proposed by Gov. JB Pritzker.

Students would have to “opt-in” to take part in the program and provide their contact information and GPAs to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. The commission would then apply admission criteria from each university to find out at which universities the student qualifies for admission.

No coverage caps on general anesthesia

Hauter also is the sponsor of HB1141, which unanimously passed the House floor Monday. The bill would require all private insurance companies to cover the costs of medically necessary general anesthesia for the entire duration of a patient’s medical procedure.

“Patients have no control over the length of their surgery,” he said. “Physiologists have no control, or little control, and surgeons oftentimes have no control when they run into complications, abnormal anatomy or even malfunctioning equipment.”

The bill would ensure insurance companies can’t deny lengthy coverage in Illinois and continue the state’s status quo, Hauter said.

Blue Cross Blue Shield recently threatened to set a cap on the duration of medically necessary anesthesia in Missouri, New York and Connecticut in late 2024. After receiving nationwide backlash on the decision, the company changed course and never set a cap.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIJ_p_vDx6g?si=bRwqClLCfR6_Irpz]

Student teacher stipend bill approved

A bill passed through the House Monday on a 78-23 vote that would allow student teachers to receive a stipend.

Student teaching is part of the requirements for a teaching license in Illinois.

Read more: Capitol Briefs: House OKs program for student teacher stipends – but not the funding for it

The proposal passed the House in 2024 but didn’t become law.

The bill states eligible student teachers can be given “up to $10,000 per semester for two semesters” in educator preparation programs. Licensed cooperating teachers at public schools or early childhood education centers could separately get $2,000 per semester.

“We are in a dire situation, and we need teachers,” Rep. Katie Stuart, D-Edwardsville, said Monday on the House floor. “This is a barrier for those seeking licensure. It’s an expensive barrier to have to do your student teaching completely unpaid. This goes back to the history of the sexist nature of the fact that teachers tend to be overwhelmingly female.”

The bill’s main sponsor, Rep. Barbara Hernandez, D-Aurora, said she’s aiming to get $10 million appropriated from the budget for this bill, but she’d prefer around $60 million.

In 2024, Hernandez pushed for a $68 million appropriation for the proposal but admitted at the time the bill was unlikely to receive that funding.

Read more: Pritzker calls $55.2B budget ‘responsible and balanced’ – but warns Trump policies could upend it

Rep. Fred Crespo, D-Hoffman Estates, warned that Pritzker said budget negotiations were going to be strict this year.

“You can ask for everything, you can’t have it all,” Crespo said. “We need to start prioritizing what we want; and at the end of the day, taxpayers are going to pay for this. And at this rate, we’re just going to run out of taxpayers’ dollars to spend.”

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

This article first appeared on Capitol News Illinois and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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The measure saw unanimous Republican support and was joined by four Democrats: Reps. Jared Golden (Maine), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (Washington), Henry Cuellar (Texas), and Ed Case (Hawaii).

Republicans championed the SAVE Act as a measure to protect election integrity by preventing noncitizens from voting—a practice that is already illegal and exceedingly rare. Critics argue that the bill addresses a non-issue while creating unnecessary barriers to voting.

The SAVE Act introduces stringent requirements that critics say will disproportionately affect marginalized groups. Under the bill, individuals seeking to register or update their voter information must present documentary proof of citizenship, such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers. This provision would effectively eliminate popular registration methods like online and mail-in systems, as well as voter registration drives.

These changes are expected to create significant hurdles for naturalized citizens, low-income voters, rural residents, and first-time voters who may lack easy access to the required documents. Married women—an estimated 69 million of whom have changed their names— could also face challenges if their birth certificates do not match their current legal names. Challenges would be the same for people within the LBGTQIA+ communities who have changed their names.

According to the Brennan Center for Justice, over 21 million U.S. citizens do not have citizenship documents readily available, with nearly 4 million lacking any form of proof entirely.

The SAVE Act also poses significant challenges for military service members, their families, and other overseas voters, potentially undermining their ability to participate in U.S. elections. 

Military personnel stationed abroad and their families often rely on mail or online systems to register to vote and update their voter information under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). The SAVE Act would require in-person proof of citizenship, such as a passport or birth certificate, effectively ending these convenient registration methods.

Absentee voting through the Federal Post Card Application (FPCA), a widely used tool for military members to register and request absentee ballots, could become obsolete under the SAVE Act’s requirements. 

Under this bill, election officials could face up to five years in prison or civil lawsuits for mistakenly registering voters without proper documentation—even if those voters are citizens. The measure also mandates frequent voter roll maintenance to remove undocumented individuals, which could lead to errors and disenfranchisement of legitimate voters through faulty data.

Mail-in ballots after election day would also be null and void.

The legislation now moves to the Senate, where it will need 60 votes to overcome an anticipated Democratic filibuster. Although Republicans hold a 53-seat majority in the chamber, the bill’s prospects appear slim given unified Democratic opposition.

President Donald Trump has endorsed the measure and is likely to sign it into law if it reaches his desk.

The post House Approves GOP-Backed SAVE Act, Potentially Disenfranchising Millions of Voters first appeared on SJO Daily.

The federal government has revoked the visas of some international students studying at universities across Illinois, but college administrators are sharing few details, including how many students have been impacted.

A spokesperson for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign this week confirmed that some of its students are affected, but did not disclose a number. U of I ranks sixth nationally in the size of its international student body at over 15,000.

“Out of student privacy concerns, we are not sharing specific information, but we are working directly with affected students to help them connect with appropriate resources and understand their options,” said Robin Kaler, a university spokesperson. Kaler declined to provide more details, though multiple sources familiar with the situation at U of I, who asked that their names not be used because they are not authorized to speak on the matter, say the number of students whose visas have been revoked is at least several dozen — and likely growing.

The revocations are part of a broader federal crackdown playing out on campuses across the country. International students have faced abrupt visa cancellations in recent weeks, as the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration dragnet ensnares college students, federal officials claim have violated visa rules, though the reasons for the revocations are not always made clear. In many cases, students have also lost their status in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, SEVIS, which allows them to legally stay in the U.S. while enrolled in school.

Across its vast network of public and private colleges and universities, Illinois hosts one of the largest international student populations in the nation, ranking fifth, with more than 55,000 international students, according to a 2024 Open Doors report.

A spokesperson for Gov. JB Pritzker’s office said it has been in “close touch” with both public and private university leaders across the state but declined to share any information about how many students have been affected — or whether it even knows. The spokesperson said Pritzker’s office is deferring to the universities to provide data on what is “an incredibly fluid situation.”

Ed Yohnka, a spokesperson for the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, said the lack of transparency from both federal officials and universities raises serious concerns about accountability and democratic oversight. It also makes it difficult for advocacy groups like his to provide a meaningful response to affected students.

“One of the things we often think about when we think about the First Amendment, or we think about free speech is that I can’t speak freely about what the government’s doing if I don’t know they’re doing it. I can’t actually exercise my constitutional right to participate, criticize and critique the government if, in fact, the government acts in such an opaque way that I can’t know what the heck they’re doing,” he said.

“And, so I think that’s why, if the federal government won’t share this information — if they’re trying to, sort of, just sneak one by here — this is where it gets incredibly important for universities to at least give some sort of number, some sort of range, to say that people in their community are being impacted and affected by these reckless and unlawful government policies.”

Many schools are citing privacy laws, such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), as to why they cannot disclose information about student visas.

SIU professor William Freivogel said that while the FERPA bars university disclosure of a student’s visa status unless the student gives written permission, the university should release anonymized data — without student names or identifying information.

“If the university is concerned that a student is losing the[ir] visa without the government presenting adequate reasons, the university can ask the student if it can disclose the information,” said Freivogel, who specializes in media law. “Presumably the governor’s office, if concerned about the situation statewide, could try to collect information in the same way — asking students if they want to waive their FERPA rights so that people can get a better picture of what is happening statewide and nationwide.”

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in late March that student visas are being revoked because select international students came to the U.S. to study, but instead engaged in “activist movements that are disruptive and undermine universities,” through protests on campus, specifically those that “are supportive of movements that run counter to the foreign policy of the United States.” That includes those calling for support of the Palestinian people and a ceasefire in Gaza, although it is unclear what the U.S. considers to be “movements that run counter to the foreign policy of the United States.”

On Wednesday, April 9, the U.S. said it will begin monitoring immigrants’ social media pages for antisemitism.

DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin said, “Anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for antisemitic violence and terrorism — think again.”

Under this new directive, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services will consider social media content that indicates an immigrant “endorsing, espousing, promoting, or supporting antisemitic terrorism, antisemitic terrorist organizations, or other antisemitic activity as a negative factor in any USCIS discretionary analysis when adjudicating immigration benefit requests” — which may lead to visa revocation and the inability to be reinstated.

Happening on campuses across the state

University officials in Illinois have not disclosed the reasons that their students have lost their visas, and in some cases said they don’t even know themselves.

Southern Illinois University Carbondale reported one student with a revoked visa in late March but has since declined to comment on whether additional students have been affected.

After the initial confirmation, an SIU spokesperson told a reporter it would “no longer confirm or share information” and is “devoting our resources and energies to supporting our international students.”

Meanwhile, SIU Edwardsville has confirmed that eight students, including three undergraduates and five graduate students, lost their visa status earlier this week.

A Northern Illinois University spokesperson confirmed Thursday that five international students there had lost their visas.

SIU Carbondale reported 875 international students for the fall of 2024, a 2.5% increase from the year prior, while NIU enrolled roughly 970 international students. As of spring 2025, SIU Edwardsville had 825 international students representing 69 countries.

The University of Chicago student newspaper, the Chicago Maroon, reported Wednesday that three current students and four recent graduates had lost their visas. International students at the University of Chicago make up nearly a quarter of its student body of roughly 16,000.

As university leaders try to balance student concerns, fears of retaliation in an increasingly fraught political climate and growing demands for transparency, some say they feel left in the dark. And they worry the lack of transparency could conceal the full scope of the federal government’s actions against international students nationwide.

“What is deeply distressing about the news — that an international student’s visa was revoked — is the chilling silence around it, which only adds to the sense that we are powerless in the face of multiple attacks on the very existence of universities as places of learning, questioning and nurturing the next generation,” said Jyotnsa Kapur, a professor in cinema and media studies and the director of the University Honors Program at SIU Carbondale.

Kapur said international students fear jeopardizing their education and citizenship status — and want the school to provide stronger backing.

“Students want the upper administration to show support for international students — not just send cautionary notes,” said Kapur, referring to the email sent out by the university to its international student body on March 28.

“I had a couple of students in my office — they don’t want their names to be known — but they told me that there is absolute alarm about what can happen. One student was taking an after-dinner walk and a car just sat there with its lights on for 15 minutes. The student was actually afraid they may be picked up by ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] like the Tufts student,” Kapur said.

Questioning the legality of these actions

Illinois state Rep. Katie Stuart, chair of the House Higher Education Committee, said she’s heard “lots of stories of visas being revoked” but also had no concrete numbers about the impact across Illinois.

“I think it would be helpful to put together a briefing for legislators to understand what the different institutions are doing to protect students because ultimately that’s our goal,” said Stuart, a Democrat whose district includes SIU Edwardsville. “But the answer really is — right now — we don’t know for sure what’s going on.”

Illinois Sen. Dale Fowler, a Republican whose district includes SIU Carbondale, also said he did not have any sense of the scope of the situation. “I would love to know for sure,” he said.

Lawyers and legal scholars have begun to question the legality of these actions from the federal government, on international student visas.

These uncharted legal waters — coupled with the looming threat of losing federal funding — have effectively pushed many U.S. colleges into a state of silence and compliance with the federal government.

Lauren Aronson, a clinical professor at the University of Illinois College of Law and director of its Immigration Law Clinic, said she is particularly worried about the university’s large population of students from China, who she believes are becoming a target.

“The purpose is xenophobia and racism — it’s about punishing countries that don’t fall in line,” she said.

Aronson said it’s her understanding that some of the students impacted haven’t participated in protests and don’t have criminal records.

“I’m hugely concerned,” she said. “The thing that is to me the most nefarious is the fear that is being instilled now into every international student, as there isn’t necessarily rhyme or reason about who will be targeted.”

Some SIU students have started to raise concerns to not only their administrators, but to their peers as well.

At a student government meeting on April 2, SIU student Dustin Kinney asked what they are doing for the safety and protection of international students and other marginalized groups on campus.

“I just thought it was important to mention, because there are students on this campus who are deathly scared of legal and academic retaliation. Or, in the instance of international students, having their visas revoked,” said Kinney. “Friends of mine are too scared to even come to things like USG meetings because of the revocations happening nationwide and at SIU.”

This story was produced for Capitol News Illinois through the Saluki Local Reporting Lab, supported by grant funding from the Pulitzer Center, the Illinois Press Foundation and the SIU Foundation.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.

This article first appeared on Capitol News Illinois and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post ‘Chilling silence’: Waves of Illinois’ international university students lose their visas first appeared on SJO Daily.

The S&P 500 rose significantly—by over 6%—and other indices like the Nasdaq Composite and Dow Jones also saw substantial gains (8% and 5%, respectively).

The move was preceded by a Truth Social post by President Trump, stating, “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!” This statement came shortly after the markets opened and preceded a significant surge in stock prices following the tariff announcement.  The sudden shift in tariff policy, which had previously been characterized as unyielding, surprised both lawmakers and financial markets.

Schiff, speaking to reporters, expressed his determination to uncover whether individuals within the administration or those close to Trump profited from advance knowledge of the tariff decision.

“Family meme coins and all the rest of it are not beyond insider trading or enriching themselves. I hope to find out soon,” Schiff told TIME.

Insider trading involves using nonpublic, material information to gain an unfair advantage in stock transactions. Legal experts note that even indirect actions—such as tipping off others or making suggestive public statements—can fall under scrutiny if they lead to financial gains based on privileged knowledge. Schiff’s concerns were echoed by other lawmakers, including Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA), who remarked that widespread skepticism about the situation has permeated Capitol Hill.

“The chaos he’s injecting in the economy is horrible,” Kaine adds. “Right now, he’s put tariffs on nations who have trade surpluses, tariffs on nations that have no trade barriers at all with the United States. It’s just a nonsensical policy.”

In his first 80 days of Trump’s second term, he has either placed tariffs on countries or certain products or rescinded those actions at least five times. 

Alongside projected higher prices for the American people and undermining trust in the market, Trump’s tariffs have created uncertainty for businesses, increased input costs for manufacturers, jeopardized millions of jobs across industries reliant on global supply chains and contributed to rising inflation.

The newly imposed 125% tariff on Chinese imports is projected to have far-reaching consequences for both the U.S. and global economies. The tariff is expected to significantly raise the cost of goods imported from China, which accounts for a substantial share of consumer products in the U.S. Industries such as electronics, textiles, furniture, and toys. 

Consumer electronics, like smartphones, could see price hikes exceeding 50%, with some products (e.g., iPhones) potentially costing over $2,000. Clothing prices are likely to rise sharply, as approximately 30% of U.S. textiles are sourced from China. Everyday items such as furniture, lamps, and sports equipment—over 50% of which come from China—are also expected to see steep price increases. Ultimately, prices will depend on each  companies’ pricing strategies.

Additionally, many U.S. manufacturers rely on Chinese components for their supply chains. The 125% tariff will increase production costs, forcing businesses to either absorb the costs or pass them on to consumers.

China’s retaliatory tariffs—now at 84% on U.S. goods—will severely impact American farmers, who export $24 billion in agricultural products to China annually. Reduced demand for key exports like soybeans, corn, and poultry could lead to significant financial losses for the agricultural sector.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) estimates that merchandise trade between the U.S. and China could decrease by up to 80%, with global trade volumes shrinking as a result. Economists warn that the escalating trade war between the world’s two largest economies could reduce global GDP by nearly 7%, increasing the likelihood of a global recession.

While Schiff is the first senator to publicly advocate for an investigation into this matter, he faces significant challenges in pursuing a formal inquiry. Congressional committees with jurisdiction over financial oversight are currently led by Republican lawmakers who have shown little inclination to confront the White House on this issue. Without bipartisan support, Schiff’s efforts may be limited to informal investigations using his office’s resources, which lack subpoena power.

Trump’s tariff pause comes amid growing economic uncertainty and fears of a looming recession. While the 90-day suspension has been welcomed by some as a step toward stabilizing trade relations, critics argue that it introduces further unpredictability into global markets. Economists have noted that such abrupt policy shifts can create opportunities for insider trading and undermine investor confidence.

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SPRINGFIELD — Gov. JB Pritzker vowed Tuesday that Illinois will remain a “stable” trading partner with nations around the world, despite President Donald Trump’s imposition of tariffs that have disrupted global markets.

“Look, there are a lot of uncertainties at the moment, a lot of instability. There’s no doubt,” Pritzker said. “But this is a stable state. This is a state that thrives on certainty and allows our businesses to do well. And so we look forward to maintaining that status.”

Pritzker was responding to questions from reporters in his Statehouse office after signing a “memorandum of understanding,” or MOU, regarding trade between Illinois and the United Kingdom. MOUs are nonbinding agreements that outline how the parties intend to work together.

The signing ceremony in the governor’s office was largely ceremonial because terms of the MOU were originally agreed to during Pritzker’s trade mission to the U.K. in 2023.

“This action will inspire greater dialogue, cooperation and innovation on issues of critical importance to both of our nations, from climate change to infectious disease controls to sustainable agriculture,” Pritzker said. “It will strengthen our existing lines of trade and investment while expanding into new ventures in each of our emerging high growth sectors, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, finance, clean energy and beyond.”

Joining in the ceremony was U.K. Consul General Richard Hyde, who said he sees particular opportunities for Illinois to work with the U.K. on the development of smaller-scale nuclear power generation, where the British firm Rolls-Royce has been a leader.

“Excuse me for lobbying governor, and I promised you I wouldn’t, but you know, Illinois has adopted a standard and definition of small and small-modular reactors, which we think is a little old fashioned,” he said. “We’d love to open it up, like other states are doing around you, so that Rolls-Royce can come and bring their technology into Illinois and drive forward small-modular reactors and more decarbonization, a more safe nuclear power to your state.”

In 2024, according to the governor’s office, Illinois exported more than $2.6 billion worth of goods to the U.K., making it the state’s eighth-largest export partner. Exports from Illinois include chemicals, computer products and manufactured and fabricated metal products. British firms, meanwhile, employ about 96,000 people in Illinois.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation. 

This article first appeared on Capitol News Illinois and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Amid global tariff war, Pritzker vows to be ‘stable’ trading partner with United Kingdom first appeared on SJO Daily.